Machine for inlaying



April 25, 1944. r. wAlNMAN 2,347,535

MACHINE FOR INLAYING FiledJan. 11, 1940 4 sheetssheet 1 I 1 3; TWMMZQQQW A'ITORNEY April 25,1944. T. WAINMAN '2, 347,5s5 v MACHINE FORINLAYING 7 Filed Jan. 11, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY Patented Apr.25, 1944 MACHINE FOR INLAYI G ifhomas Wainman, Arlington, J. assignor toPlastic Inlays, Ind, Summit, N. .L, a corporation of New JerseyApplication January 11, 1349., Serial No. 313,339

14 Claims.

"The "present invention relates to inlaying and more particularly to .animproved .machine for inlaying metal inlays into articles andparticularly articles molded from synthetic resin com pounds.

Plastic products are supplanting both metals and wood for various uses.For example, in cars various parts .are now made of plastics which wereformerly made of wood or metal. The D s-ibility has been considered ofmolding the bodies of aeroplanes from plastics. With such extensive usethe appearance of molded parts has become commonplace. Efforts have beenmade to improve the appearance by utilizing various colors of materialsbut that has its limitations as there are only a limited number ofdistinctive colors. Inlaying offer unlimited designs with various typesand colors of metal. However, inlaying of plastics presents problemswhich are difficult to overcome. First, in molding recesses in plasticarticles, there are definite limitations in the manufacture whichrequire large tolerances in the dimensions of the recesses. Secondly theplastics commonly used, particularly those molded from phenoliccondensation products, are hard and brittle and tend to chip and crack,causing defects not tolerated by purchasers. Third, the hardness of thematerial and the dimensional tolerances make it difficult to fix theinlays securely in recesses so that there will be no danger of theircoming out. This is complicated by reason of the parts being subjectedduring their use to varying temperature and weather conditions. Fourth,the parts are used in large quantities and their cost must be kept at aminimum to insure their extensive use.

The present invention aims to minimize or overcome the above objectionsby providing a machine for inlaying which reduces the cost of inlaying,permits greater tolerances in the recess dimensions of the articles tobe inlaid, and securely fixes the inlays in the recesses regardless ofthe plastic material used and achieves the result without chipping orbreaking the articles.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved machine forinlaying articles, particularly articles molded from synthetic resincompounds.

Another object of the invention is to reduce the cost of inlaying moldedarticles.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved machine whichwill inlay recesses in molded articles varying a maximum amountdimensionally from a predetermined standard.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine which is rapidin operation and which fixes the inlays securely in position to insureagainst accidental dislodgment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine for forcing theinlay in position by successive operations securely to embed the edgesof the inlay in the article.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine for inlayingwherein the edges of the inlay can be embedded in hard materials such asarticles molded from phenolic condensation products.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obviou upon anunderstanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, orwill be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages notreferred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employmentof the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes ofillustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings,forming a part of the specification, wherein Fig. l is a frontelevational view of the machine;

Fig. :2 is a side elevational View, partly in section, of the machinetaken along the line 2-2 of Fig; 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the machine along the line'3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional View taken'on line 3-4 of Fig. 3illustrating one of the pressure members forcing a metal inlay into arecess in a molded article;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of an article and metal inlayadapted to be assembled by the present machine;

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of another form work holder forapplication of inlays to knobs and the like; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view at the delivery station o ne of the holdersshown in Fig. 7.

The drawings show a preferred embodiment of the machine. It will beunderstood of course that, for different types of inlays and fordifferent shapes of articles to be inlaid, certain changes will bedesirable in the machine, particularly in the work holders for holdingthe articles to be inlaid and the pressure members for applying pressureto the inlays.

Described generally, the preferred embodiment of the invention comprisesa press having a table adapted to be rotated intermittently under thepress head. The table carries a series of Work holders for engaging andretaining the articles to be inlaid. The pressure head is reciprocatedvertically by a suitable drive to force the metal inlays into therecesses in the articles and to embed the edges of the metal inlays intothe articles to'prevent' accidental dislodgment. The pressure headembodies a plurality of pressure members, herein illustrated as four, toengage a plurality of articles simultaneously, and com pletes a press.In this way the pressure is applied to the metal and the edges of themetal are embedded in the molded article in four stages. In addition,the pressure heads with the exception of the last one to engage thearticle are heated to a substantial temperature so that the metal inlayswill in turn be heated, which in turn will heat locally the parts of therecess into which the edges are to be embedded to facilitate secureengagement of the inlay. The driVe of the press is such that thepressure head can be retained in effective position for a predeterminedperiod which can be readily changed to obtain optimum results. The tablesupporting the work holders is rotated step by step to present the workto the pressurehead. The operator has ample opportunity andspace toremove the inlaid parts and to place in the holders articles to beinlaid.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 6, there is shown an exploded viewof a handle I which may be molded of a synthetic resin compound, forexample, Bakelite," Durez, and other similar materials. The handle has arecess 2 of a desired shape and depth to receive a metal inlay 4. Themetal inlay is preferably curved slightly so that when pressure isapplied to it, it spreads out to embed its edges in the side of therecess to securely fix it in place. Improved result may be obtained byutilizing apiece of base metal 5, for

example brass in the bottom of the recess under the metal inlay 4. Inthis way the edges of the metal inlay are guided outwardly against thesides of the recess and do not scrape or embed in the bottom of therecess. While the use of a base metalb is illustrated herein andpreferred, it is to be understood that the present invention isapplicable to inlaying generally with or without the utilization of thebase metal 5.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 3 illustrating the presentmachine, there is shown a base 'I' forming a platform or other suitablesupport for a rotatable table 8 secured to the base by a bolt 9 andresiliently retained against the sup port by a spring III which iadjustably held in position by nuts II. The table 8 may be provided withany suitable work holders I2 for engaging and retaining the work piecesor articles to be inlaid and for presentation to the pressure applyinghead. The work holders will vary depending upon the type of articlesbeing inlaid. In the embodiment illustrated in'Figs. 1 to 6, workholders I 2 are shown for the oven door han dles I illustrated in Fig. 6and, a illustrated in the detailed sectional view of Figs. 4 and 5, maycomprise a central supporting part I4 and end pins I5. The pins I 5 fitinto recesses in the handle and the central supporting part I4 supportsthe middle of the recess where the pressure is applied in inlaying thearticle. The work holders I2 may be secured to the table 8 in anysuitable manner, for example, by the screws or bolts I1. A pressuremember 2| is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 in effective single article ateach operation of the.

handle directly under the inlay position, and will be describedhereinafter. Likewise the drive for intermittently rotating the tableand accurately presenting the Work holder to the pressure head will bedescribed later.

5 The pressure head I8 utilized herein referably comprises a pluralityof pressure members IE, IS, 2c and ZI. Each of the pressure members I5,I9 and 28 preferably includes heatingmeans such as an electric heatingcoil 28 which will maintain the 10 temperature of the inlay engagingsurface in heated condition. Excellent results have been'obtained withtemperatures of about 400 degrees Fahrenheit, but higher or lowertemperatures may be utilized if desired. The entire pressure head ismounted in guideways 22 for reciprocation in a vertical direction bymeans of a crank 2 on the crank shaft 24. The work holders on the table8 are so positioned that an article is presented to each of the fourheads and pressure and heat are applied to the first three articles andpressure alone to the fourth. The heat communicated from the pressuremembers to the metal inlay causes the inlay and the edges thereof toassume a temperature approaching thetem- 25 perature of the pressuremembers, which in turn locally heats the sides or'other portions of therecess where the edges of the inlay are being embedded and thus softensthe material to facilitate embedding the edges therein. It has beenfound that with molded articles, such as Bakelite, that heating theinlay and locally heating the part to be inlaid prevents chipping andcracking of the Bakelite and greatly facilitates the .in layingoperation. With softer materials, the

heating may be dispensed with, but with certain types of materials it isvery desirable.

It will be noted that the pressure is applied in stages during theinlaying operation. The pressure member I6 is first applied to the inlayand thereafter in succession the pressure members I 9,

20 and 2 I. As described above, the'pressure members I6, I9 and 26 areheated to facilitate the embedding operation. If desired, these pressuremembers may be adjusted to apply greater pressure in each successivepressing operation. The

pressure member 2| is not heated and i preferably cold in order to coolthe inlay and cause it to assume the size that it normally has atatmospheric temperatures. The pressure applied will force the edgesfirmly into the sides of the recess and thus will fix it securely inposition in its cold state. The contraction of the metal upon cool ing,without this fourth operation, might cause the metal to loosen from theposition fixed by the .55 pressure member 20 and the tendency for it tobecome dislodged would be increased. The applic ation of the coldpressure member eliminates loosening due to shrinkage by fixing theinlay in place while at normal temperatures.

The pressure head, a illustrated in the preferred embodiment, maycomprise a fiat plate 25 attached to the vertical reciprocating member2| by the bolts I 3. The pressure members are bolted to the plate 25 bymeans of the bolts 26 through the intermediation of springs 33 which maybe adjusted as desired and the springs may have the proper strength toapply any desired pressure in the successive applications of pressure. Asuitable reinforcing flange 21 may be formed on the plate 25 if desired.The pressure members may be heated electrically through the wiresleading into the units 28.

The drive for and the operation of the pressure head will now bedescribed. Extending upwardly from the base or support 1 is a casting 29to give any. desired degree of variation.

Thus rotation of the shaft 24 reciprocates the having bearings 30' atits upper end in which the crank shaft 24 is mounted. One end of thecrank shaft has a fly wheel 3| thereon which may be driven by a suitablemotor and belt (not shown). As the fly wheel 3| rotates the crank shaft24, the pressure head It is reciprocated vertically by means of thecrank or eccentric 32 and the rod 34 secured thereto. The pressure headmay be adjusted vertically by means of the nuts 35. Normal operation ofthe machine would cause the pressure head to engage the work for a shortperiod during each revolution of the fly wheel 3|. In order to secure anextended pressing and heating operation, with the pressure memberseffective upon the inlays, a clutch 35 is provided and is adaptednormally to stop the movement of the pressure head while in its low estposition. In other words, the power for driv} ing the shaft 24 isdisconnected from the shaft automatically by the clutch 33 when the headis in its lowest position. The opposite end of the clutch lever 33 isattached to the solenoid 31 of an electro-niagnet 3B. When theelectromagnet 38 is operated to release the clutch member 36, the shaft24 is rotated and the pressure head is raised to its upper position andlowered again to its effective pressure position where the clutch 35again automatically stops it. The electric circuit through conductors 49and 4| and the magnet 33 is closed by a switch 39 operated by a ratchetwheel 42. The pins'or projections 44 on the ratchet wheel engage anddepress a pin 45 which operates the switch 39 and closes the electricalcircuit through wires 40 and 4| and the magnet 38 to release the clutch36.

The ratchet wheel 43 is rotated by a ratchet 46 mounted on a bell crank41. A lever 48 is pivotally mounted on the frameby means of a bolt 49with one end 53 connected to the bell crank 41 and the other endconnected to a vertically movable rod 52 mounted in bearings 54. Aroller 55 on the upper end of the rod 52 engages a cam 56 on the side ofthe shaft 24 adjacent the drive wheel 3| where it is not affected by thec1utch36 and, therefore, rotates continuously with the fly wheel3l. Uponeach rotation of the fly Wheel 3|, the ratchet cam 56 forces downwardlythe vertical rod 52 and oscillates the ratchet lever 48 to operate theratchet member 46. In this manner, the switch 39 may be operated once inevery desired number of rotations of the drive wheel 3|. Thus a pressurehead may be retained in its downwardly effective position for anydesired period of time depending upon the article being inlaid and timerequired to obtain the best results. A period of several seconds hasbeen found to give good results. The pressure period may be varied bychanging the pivot position of the lever 48 which operates the ratchet.Three apertures 51 are shown at the middle of the lever 48 and othersmight be added The shorterthe left side of the lever, the shorter theperiods of effective pressure and more rapid the operation of the clutchmember 36.

A crank is provided on the end of the shaft 24 opposite the fly wheel 3|by means of a disc 59 and a connecting member 58 thereon. A rod 50 isattached to the member 58 at 6| to drive the work supporting table 8.The lower end of the rod 60 has a rack 62 formed thereon which mesheswith a gear 64 on shaft 65. The opposite end of the shaft 65 has a gear66 (Fig. 3) meshing with a horizontally mounted rack member 68.

rod 60 and rack 62 which'inturn oscillate the shaft to reciprocate therack member 68. A pivoted member 69, somewhat like a ratchet, is mountedon the reciprocating member 68 and'is retained against the periphery ofthe turn table by means of a spring 10. As the reciprocating member 68moves back and forth, the ratchet member 69 engages the recesses H inthe periphery of the turn table to rotate the turn table step by stepand to present the Work thereon to the pressure heads.

To look the table 8 accurately in position, there is provided a member12 having a projection 14 adapted to engage in the recesses H in theperiphery of the table. The lever 12 has one of its ends pivoted at 15and is held in effective position by means of the spring 16 forcing itagainst the periphery of the table. As the reciprocating t blemoving'member 68 moves backward for en'- gaging in'another recess II tomove the table 8. a projection 11 on the member 68 engages the free endof the lever 12 to unlock the table. As the member 68 moves in theopposite direction to rotate the table, the member 12 is permitted toengage the periphery of the table through the intermediation of thespring 16 to lock the table in proper position when the projection 14enters the respective recesses II on the periphery of the table. In thismanner the table is advanced one station and locked in position for eachoperation ofthe pressure head.

In the operation of the machine, an operator places a stove handle I orany other article to be inlaid on the pins I5 of the work holders |2 andsimultaneously removes an inlaid article from a preceding holder. Theoperator may place the inlay in the recess of the article or thearticles may be delivered to the operator with the inlay resting in therecess. Each article with the inlay thereon moves step by step to thepressure member "5 which applies heat and pressure tothe inlay to fix itsecurely in the recess. The pressure members l9 and 20 in successivestages also apply heat and pressure to the inlay. The several pressuremembers give a series of operations and effective pressure applicationssufficient to embed the edges of the metal inlay in the recessregardless of the typ of molded material used. The final operation isperformed by the pressure member 2| which is cold thereby cooling theinlay and causing it to shrink or contract to its normal size and at thesame time forcing it firmly into the material. As described above,thepressure head I8 is normally retained in its lower effective positionby means of the clutch 36'which is effective to disconnect the driveautomatically when the pressure head is down. Continued rotation of thefly wheel 3| reciprocates vertically the rod 52 by means of the cam 55,which in turn rotates the ratchet wheel 42 by means of the lever 48connected at one end to rod 52 and at its other end to the bell crank 41carrying the ratchet 46. The ratchet wheel 42 has pins 44 thereon whichengage pin 45 to operate the switch 39 and close the electric circuitthrough the magnet 38, which releases the clutch 3E causing the machineto begin another cycle. The table 8 is rotated by means of the crank 59on shaft 24 through the intermediation of the rod to and rack 62 meshingwith gear 34 on shaft 65. The gear 66 on the opposite end of the shaft3'5 meshes with the rack 6' to reciprocate the driving member 68 for theturntable 3. The pivoted member 39 on the reciprocating member .aredropped into a suitable receptacle. 7' shield 89 prevents the buttonsfrom being blown plied thereto.

'ingthe best inlaying results.

68 moves the turn table forward one station for each reciprocation ofthe member 68. The turn table is locked in position by the lever 72operated through the intermediation of spring 16.

The projection 11 on the member 68 automatitrated in Figs. 1 to 6.Secured to the top of the .table in any suitable manner is a series ofwork holders 80 here shown cylindrical in shape with the upper endsthereof recessed at 8| to receive and hold the buttons or knobs 82 tobeinlaid. The upper side of the recess is-shaped' to fit and hold securelyin position the underside of the buttons as shown more particularly inFig. 8. Any suitable type of inlay may be applied to the button. As hereshown the inlay 84 has a circular portion with bars extending across thelower half thereof. The table 8 is rotated as described above to presentthe buttons with the inlays in the recesses thereof to suitable pressuremembers (not shown in Figs. 7 and 8) such as pressure members l6, I9, 20and 2|. The same operations may be followed as described with respect toFigs. 1 to 6 to secure the inlays in place.

- The buttons are small and lend themselves to automatic removal and forthis purpose a duct 85 extends centrally through the holders 80 andconnects with a tube 86 which is attached to a rubber tube 81. When thebuttons reach the delivery station the tube 86 registers with the duct85 and a blast of air is applied to blow the buttons 82 into the chute88 from which they out of the chute.. If desired a foam operatedknock-out pin may be used for removing buttons from the holders at thedelivery station. The

operation of the mechanism shown in Figs. 7 and,

8 is otherwise the same as described in detail with respect to Figs. 1to 6.

It will be seen that the present invention provides a simple machinewhich is very effective in operation. The metal inlay is applied in aseries of-stages and subjected for a period of time to both heat andpressureand is thereafter subjected to additional pressure and reduce tonormal temperatures while pressure is being ap- The duration of theperiods of The,

application of pressure may be changed as desired. Hard brittlematerials such as Bakelite may be inlaid by the present method andmachine without breaking or chipping. Maximum speed is obtained withoutreducing undulyKthe period of heat and ,pressuredesirable for obtain Themachine is simple and rugged in construction and fully capable ofwithstanding any rough usageto which it may be submitted.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangementof the parts herein without departing from the spirit and scope of 'theinvention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to beunderstood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrativeand not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a pluralityof pressure members for applying pressure to articles to be inlaid,heating means carried by a plurality of saidpressure members, aplurality of holders for said articles, means for advancing said holdersstep by step to present the holders and articles thereon consecutivelyto a plurality of said pressing members, devices for forcing saidpressure members against a plurality of articles on said holders, andmechanism for varying the period during which pressure is applied.

2. In a machine for inlaying articles, the combination of a movablehead, a plurality of pressure applying members, means for resilientlymounting said pressure applying memberson said movable head, means foradjusting said mounting means to vary the pressure applied to the inlaysby the respective pressure applying members, a carrier having aplurality of article holders thereon adapted to support and carryarticles to be inlaid with the inlay in position thereon, means formoving said carrier and said article holders beneath said pressureapplying members in a step by step movement, and means for moving saidmovable head to force each of said pressure applying members againsteach of said articles, whereby pressure is applied in a plurality ofstages to force the inlays into the articles.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a movablehead having a plurality of pressure applying members thereon, aplurality of said pressure applying members being heated to heat theinlays, a carrier having a plurality of article holders thereon adaptedto support and carry articles to be inlaid with the inlay in positionthereon, means for moving said carrier and said article holders beneathsaid pressure applying members in a step by step movement, and means formoving said movable head to force each of said pressure applying membersagainst each of said articles, whereby heat and pressure are applied ina plurality of stages to heat, the inlays and force them into thearticles.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a verticallymovable head having a plurality of pressure applying members thereon, aplurality of said pressure applying members being heated to heat theinlays, a rotatable carrier having a plurality of article holdersthereon adapted to support and carry articles to be inlaid with theinlay in position thereon, means for moving said carrier and saidarticle holders beneath said pressure applying members in a step by stepmovement, and means for moving said movable head to force each of saidpressure ap-- plying members against each of said articles, whereby heatand pressure are applied in a plurality of stages to heat the inlays andforce them into the articles and devices for varying the period duringwhich heat and pressure are applied to force the inlays into thearticles.

5. In a press for forcing inlays into articles to be inlaid, thecombination of a turn table having holders for the articles to beinlaid, a vertically movable pressing head having a plurality ofpressure members thereon adapted to register with a correspondingplurality of said holders, certain of said pressure members beingheated, and one of said pressure members being unheated, means forrotating the turn table step by step to present articles with inlaysthereon to said pressure members, the movement of said turn table foreach step being less than the distance required to move the pressedarticles beyond the pressure head, so that pressure will be applied tothe inlays in successive stages, and means for moving said pressure headto force said pressure members against the articles and the inlaysthereon.

6. In a press for forcing inlays into articles to be inlaid, thecombination of a turn table having holders for the articles to beinlaid, a vertically movable pressing head having a plurality of pres.-sure members thereon adapted to register with a corresponding pluralityof said holders, means-- means for moving said pressure head to force"said pressure members against the articles and the inlays thereon.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a pressinghead having a plurality of members adapted to apply pressure to articlesto be inlaid, a plurality of said pressure members being heated, meansfor independently varyingthe degree of pressure applied by each of said,

pressure members, and means for moving the pressure head to force thepressure members into engagement with the articles.

8. In a machine of the class described, the com- I bination of apressing head having a plurality of members adapted to apply pressure toarticles to be inlaid, certain of said pressure members being heated andat least one of said pressure members being unheated, said unheatedpressure member being effective on an article subsequent to theapplication of pressure thereto by a heated member, and means for movingthe pressure head to force the pressure members into engagement with thearticles.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a'pressinghead having a plurality of members adapted to apply pressure to articlesto be inlaid, certain of said pressure members being heated and at leastone of said pressure members being unheated, said unheated pressuremember being effective on an article subsequent to the application ofpressure thereto by a heated member, means for moving the pressure headto force each of the pressure members into engagement with the articlesconsecutively, the pressure applying being increased in the successivestages of application.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a pressurehead, means for forcing said head into effective position, and meansincluding a ratchet for retaining said head in effective position for apredetermined period of time.

11. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a pressureapplying head, a power driven shaft for moving said head into effectiveposition, a clutch for stopping the head in effective pressure applyingposition, and automatic devices including a ratchet for operating saidclutch to move said head out of effective position after a predeterminedperiod.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a pressureapplying head, a power driven shaft for moving said head into effectiveposition, a clutch for stopping the head in effective pressure applyingposition, automatic devices including a ratchet for operating saidclutch to move said head out of effective position after a predeterminedperiod, and means for changing the amount of movement of the ratchet tocontrol the period that the pressure head is effective.

13. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a pressureapplying head, driving means for reciprocating said head, a turn tablebeneath said head having work holders adapted to present articles to beinlaid to said head, a rack operatively connected to said driving meansto be reciprocated thereby, means for operatively connecting said rackto said turn table to rotate the turn table intermittently, means forlocking said turn table in predetermined position, and means operativelyconnected to said rack for unlocking said locking means.

14. In a machine for inlaying articles, the combination of a movablehead, means for mounting a plurality of pressure applying members onsaid movable head adapted to apply pressure to inlays, means foradjusting said mounting to vary the pressure applied to the inlays bythe respective pressure applying members, means for heating certain ofsaid pressure applying members to transfer heat to the inlays during thepressure applying operation, a carrier having a plurality of articleholders thereon adapted to support and carry articles to be inlaid withthe inlay in position thereon, means for moving said carrier and saidarticle holders beneath said pressure applying members in a step-by-stepmovement, and means for moving said movable head to force each of saidpressure applying members against said articles whereby pressure isapplied in a plurality of stages to force the inlays into the articles.

THOMAS WAINMAN.

